10 Big Ideas to Optimize Your Habits

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More wisdom in less time. Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to the Optimize Mastery series. Today we've got module 5 algorithms. How to use your willpower wisely to install habits that run on autopilot via algorithms. That's the phrase we're going to repeat throughout this module. We have four sessions, three that I'm going to lead. Then Michael's going to wrap it up with a fourth one. Today we're going to focus on the big picture, looking at willpower, habits, algorithms, etc. Then in our next session, we're going to help you install a habit that can change your life and get really good at installing other habits that can make a positive difference in your life. Then in the third session, we're going to look at how to delete Kryptonite habits, things that might be getting in the way. Then Michael's going to wrap it up with power algorithms, the top 10 optimized power algorithms that you may want to consider integrating into your life. As always, let's take a quick look at our 10 ideas, then we'll jump in. The first big idea is Self Mastery 101. We could have called this module Self Mastery. In fact we consider doing so. But we like the direction of algorithms as a very practical if this then that how we're going to change our life one habit at a time. But really what Self mastery is, is willpower plus habits plus algorithms. We'll talk about that. Then we're going to work our way through the science of willpower habits and algorithms. That will be number two, three and four. Then our fifth idea is going to be meat. Your supercomputer. You have a supercomputer in your mind. Some researchers say it's like a NASA supercomputer. It's your basal ganglia. It runs the show for you. Making certain behaviors habitual. We want to get really good at programming that basal ganglia. 500 million year old apparatus in your brain. Which leads us to the next idea, which is play your role well. You are the programmer of your life. The question is, who's your boss? Are you paying attention to your daimon or are you paying attention to your demon? Because those are going to lead to different habits. We want to be mindful of that. And that's going to lead us to our seventh idea. We're going to talk about how to install a habit. Take a first pass at that. The science of. Then we're going to look at how to delete A habit. Then we're going to shine a flashlight on what's currently going on in your life. We want to see what's working, what may need some work, and what would be awesome to implement. Then our 10th idea, we're going to map a certain behavior. Map will be a theme today as well. And then we're actually going to go out and create some wins with a very tiny non threatening behavior that we can have fun integrating into our life. That's the overview. Let's jump in. All right, our first big idea is Self Mastery 101. When we draw that compass, what do we have? We have wisdom at the top, then we have self mastery at the bottom, grounding us into our virtue. Then of course, courage, love, hope, gratitude, curiosity and zest. And we've been talking about self mastery pretty much throughout our program. We'll continue to talk about it going forward, but we want to step back and see what components make up true self mastery. And what we'll find is it's really three things. And we happen to have three 101 classes we'll be leaning on in this module. I highly recommend you check out each of them if you haven't yet. Willpower 101, Habits 101 and Algorithms 101. This is arguably my favorite subject. We need to use our willpower wisely. Some people say it's finite, other people say it's infinite. We'll talk about in a moment. But either way, we want to use it wisely. We don't want to use our willpower all day, every day. That's enervating. We want to use it wisely to install habits. What are habits? Habits are basically programs that run on autopilot via algorithms. If this then that we'll talk about that a lot. But again, the phrases use your willpower wisely to install habits that run on autopilot via algorithms such that the best version of you is what shows up automatically. Because again, your behaviors are almost entirely habitual. The question is, did you choose them or not? Which leads us to a couple of quotes I want to share. First from John Maxwell. Then we're going to hang out with Seneca. John Maxwell tells us you don't choose your future, you choose your habits and they decide your future. Think about that for a moment. You don't choose your future, you choose your habits and they decide your future. He also says if you want to change your life, you need to change something you do daily. Now again, we talked about the carpe diem. We spent what do we spend seven sessions on that? Right. Well, we need to get good at changing things we do on a day to day basis. Which leads us to Seneca. He has a couple of fantastic quotes. 2000 years ago, the great Roman Stoic. He tells us this. First he says in his 2000 year ago language, you have to persevere and fortify your pertinacity. Right, we'll talk about pertinacity moment. You have to persevere and fortify your pertinacity until the will to good becomes a disposition to good. You've got to work hard enough, long enough such that your desire to do the right thing becomes just what you do automatically. Your will to good becomes a disposition to good. That's ultimately what it's all about and that's what this module is all about. Then he also says, we're going to have fun proving this with neuroscience. This again. Seneca says, how much better to pursue a straight course and eventually reach that destination where the things that are pleasing and the things that are honorable are finally become for you the same. How much better is it to have the pertinacity to go from trying really hard to do the right thing to getting to a point where doing the thing that's best for you is that which you most enjoy? That's the ultimate goal here. Where you expressing the best version of yourself is what gives you the most joy. And what's interesting is science says the way to get to that point is to make that a reality right now. When you do the right thing, celebrate it, say, that's like me. We're going to go into details on that, but one more time. Willpower plus habits plus algorithms equals self mastery. Hey, this is Brian again. I hope you enjoyed that overview of a Mastery series session and got some wisdom out of it. You can apply to your life today. What was it again? You can learn more about our Optimize Coach program at Optimize Me Coach. And here's a fun little video we put together featuring some of our Optymyz coach graduates describing what they got out of our program and why they loved it so much. You can also check out hundreds of other testimonials at Optimize Me Coach. Have an awesome day and let's do this.